Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 November 2010
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a common vascular disease among the adultpopulation, forms in the portion of the aorta below the renal arteries andupstream of its bifurcation into the two iliac arteries. While the precise causeof this vascular disease is still unknown, it is believed to be multi-factorialand predominantly degenerative, arising through a complex interplay amongseveral biological factors as well as from specific local changes in thehaemodynamic stresses on the vessel's wall. Using a simple mechanical model tosimulate the difference in the stiffness of the aorta and iliac arteries,Duclaux, Gallaire & Clanet (J. Fluid Mech., 2010, thisissue, vol. 664, pp. 5–32) propose a scaling argument for thetransition between homogeneous and inhomogeneous deformation of an elastictubular membrane that offers a plausible explanation for the observedlocalization of the AAAs. While neglecting long-term tissue remodelling andother important biological processes, the fluid mechanics model of Duclauxet al. (2010) appears to be consistent with some knownassociated risk factors.